


Teach Me

by natsucchi29



Series: dialogue prompt [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Childhood Friends, Childhood Memories, First Meeting, Friendship, Kitagawa Daiichi, M/M, Middle School, Stages of Life, implied IwaKage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-22
Updated: 2016-10-24
Packaged: 2018-08-16 16:14:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8109022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natsucchi29/pseuds/natsucchi29
Summary: Two new things Hajime discovers during his unfruitful beetle hunting: a brown-haired kid and a game using a ball.





	1. Teach Me How to Play

**Author's Note:**

  * For [konekat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/konekat/gifts).



> \- So sorry this took forever!   
> \- requested by konekat! thank you for requesting :)  
> \- I've decided last-minute to make this a 4-chapter work...  
> \- this is the first of their four stages of life: childhood!  
> \- as always, comments are greatly appreciated!

“Where are my beetles?” little Iwaizumi was exasperated when he didn’t find beetles in the new spot he’s exploring today. He heard from other neighbourhood kids that they’ve found a lot of beetles in this area before, so he tried it today, but considering it’s been a really hot summer, he thought that maybe the beetles had all hidden themselves away from him.

Refusing to let his trip go to waste, he looked around for other big trees in the vicinity. Those trees might have the beetles he’s looking for, you never know!

Locking onto his target, he prepares to run full-force towards the tree. Excited to find the beetles he went out of his way for, he looks up the huge, sturdy tree, and was surprised when a ball came to his view. He trips over an unseen branch and falls face flat into the damp earth, and now there’s mud all over his face. His mother would be so angry that she might tell him to stop going to these expeditions for beetles.

“Are you okay?”

He looks up to a brown-haired boy with a ball in his hands, and remembers that same ball that came into his view earlier when he was running for the tree.

He fell pretty hard, but that’s nothing to the boy compared to falling off trees during his beetle quests. “I’m okay,” he tells the kid in front of him, who looked worried, as he dusted off the mud as much as he can.

He looks around for his beetle cage and his net that flew off him when he tripped, and sees his net broken in half. “AHHH!” he screamed in frustration, startling the brown-haired kid, who’s still looking at him. This trip has been nothing but unfruitful and the heat has been adding to his irritation. “I went all this way for nothing!”

With nothing else to do, plus it’s still early in the afternoon to go home, he looked at the kid, who went back to playing with his ball. The kid was tossing the ball upwards and hits it against the tree with his arms together.

“Hey! What are you doing? You’re scaring away the beetles!” he yells at the kid, who abruptly stops at his reprimand, making the ball in the air fall directly on the kid’s head.

The kid scrunched up his face, sniffed, and burst out in tears.

“H-Hey… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell,” Iwaizumi apologized to the child, who’s now crying so hard, he’s got snot coming out of his nose.

Squirming and trying to think how he could possibly get this crybaby to stop, Iwaizumi blurted out, “Teach me how to play!”

The kid’s crying calms down, and tilts his head to the side. “What did you say?” he asks, still sobbing and sniffing.

“Teach me how to play… that game you’re playing with that ball! Let’s play!” Iwaizumi repeats himself for the kid’s comprehension.

The kid wipes his tears away with the back of his hand as he stops crying completely, and sniffs, the last of his snot that dangled from his tiny nostrils getting sucked back in. Iwaizumi grimaces at the sight.

His grimace turned into a smile as the child in front of him, who was crying just now, is smiling brilliantly and contagiously at him.

The kid held out the ball to Iwaizumi. “My name’s Oikawa Tooru!” he said.

“I’m Iwaizumi.”

Iwaizumi notices the sprouting little incisors in Oikawa’s teeth while Oikawa sparkled at his newly made friend.


	2. Teach Me How to Deal with a  Rival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oikawa is struggling to deal with his insecurities towards Kageyama and Iwaizumi teaches him a lesson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- sorry for taking so long!  
> \- more canon scenes included and it was kind of hard to work on them because I didn't want to mess it up  
> \- GOOD SENPAI IWA  
> \- some IwaKage bc I've been wanting to write about them //gets kicked  
> \- comments are always welcome!

“Calm down, you dumbass!”

Oikawa felt his arm being shoved away by Iwaizumi as his friend’s words kept on ringing in his ears. He was surprised to have been stopped from lunging into Kageyama that could’ve seriously hurt the both of them.

Oikawa was frozen in his spot. He couldn’t believe what he was just about to do to Kageyama. All he knew was that he was suddenly swallowed by his insecurities, resulted him into also seeing the face of Ushijima Wakatoshi, Shiratorizawa Academy’s ace and Oikawa’s rival, and he wanted it to go away.

Mindlessly spouting his insecurities and his struggle to get better in order to overcome them, Iwaizumi unhesitatingly headbutts him, partly because the dark-haired boy got too irritated with him. Oikawa falls back on the impact, and felt slightly light-headed, feeling blood drip out of his nose.

“Do you think you’re fighting by yourself? You’ve got to be kidding, you dumbass! If you think how you’re doing equals how the team will do, I’ll punch you! There’s no one on our team who can beat Ushiwaka one-on-one! However, there are six players on the volleyball court! Even if our opponent’s some genius first-year or Ushiwaka, the team with the better six is stronger, you dumbass!” Iwaizumi bellowed at him, the red mark on his forehead becoming even redder and redder at an alarming rate.

Oikawa was so set on striving to improve in order to get even better than his kouhai Kageyama and that Ushijima… that he was swallowed up by his insecurities and by his greed to win against those that they call “geniuses”.

Iwaizumi’s headbutt had literally shaken his head back into sanity.

Oikawa’s slow and slightly devious chuckle sent a shiver down Iwaizumi’s spine.

“O-Oi, did I headbutt you too hard?” Iwaizumi asked his friend, and was shocked to see blood trickling down from Oikawa’s nostrils.

Oikawa was glad that Iwaizumi was around when this incident happened, for he wouldn’t know just what he would’ve done to Kageyama if nobody was there to stop him. He wouldn’t have known how low he would’ve sunk either, if Iwaizumi weren’t there to save him.

This isn’t anything new to Oikawa and Iwaizumi, but Oikawa himself had no way of knowing that his insecurities would swallow him whole. He was thankful to have Iwaizumi enlighten his mind from succumbing into his fears. He’s thankful he’s met a friend like Iwaizumi, who had always been there for him, and probably will continue to be there by his side.

“I suddenly feel invincible.”

 

 

The next day, Oikawa sees little Kageyama with that smug face approaching him again with a volley ball in his small hands, asking if Oikawa could teach him how to do a jump serve. Well, that last part hasn’t even been said yet, but Oikawa already knows it would be a repeat of what Kageyama’s been asking him to do for the past 3 days.

“Oikawa-san, would you please teach—“

“No way! No! Stupid Kageyama!” Oikawa childishly refused his kouhai by sticking his tongue out.

And of course, vice-captain Iwaizumi wouldn’t fail to reprimand him for his childish antics. “Oikawa, stop picking on the first year.”

 

 

One week had already passed since the incident, but it’s as if it hadn’t happened at all. One week has passed, and Kageyama is still pleading Oikawa to teach him how to do jump serves.

“Say, why won’t you just teach Kageyama how to do jump serves?” Iwaizumi brings up the topic while getting dressed back into their uniforms in the locker rooms after practice.

“Huh? There’s no way I’d teach him!” Oikawa rebutted.

“But he’s been asking you for a week! I kinda feel bad for the kid, you know?”

“Then, why don’t _you_ teach him, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa replied in a snotty tone. “Since you like him so much!”

Iwaizumi sighed. “There’s a reason why Kageyama’s asking you and not me or the other 3rd years, Oikawa.”

Oikawa shot his friend a questioning look.

“My jump serves are nothing special, and I still miss it sometimes too, so I’ll be working on that. But your serves are the fruit of your hard work. I’m sure Kageyama knows that too, and that’s why he’s asking you,” Iwaizumi says, hopeful that his friend will be convinced to help out his young kouhai.

 

 

Like how it’s been for the past 9 days, Kageyama, yet again, approaches a pouty Oikawa with a ball in his hands. “Oikawa-san, please teach me how to serve!”

“…Sure.”

Everyone who heard Oikawa froze. A small grin of accomplishment sprouted from Iwaizumi’s lips.

Oikawa pointed at Kageyama, who was already sparkling all over at this point. “But I only teach things once! If you don’t get it the first time, I won’t be repeating it! You have to watch carefully!”

Iwaizumi pushed the thought, _“Can Oikawa even teach properly?”_ away to the back of his head. He just forgot to emphasize that important part.

 

 

“Ah, Kageyama!” Iwaizumi calls out to his kouhai. “I’m glad I caught you here.”

The first year turns around and bows low to Iwaizumi. “Thank you very much, Iwaizumi-san! If it wasn’t for you—“

“Aahh, don’t! Raise your head!” Iwaizumi says as he scrambled around, gesturing for Kageyama that he didn’t need to bow so excessively. “I didn’t really do anything.”

The younger player is obviously overflowing with gratitude and overjoyed that his smile is shining brilliantly. “If it wasn’t for Iwaizumi-san, Oikawa-san wouldn’t agree to teach me!”

The vice-captain sighed resignedly. _He really is like him…_

He pets the first year and ruffles his head, a gesture that had Kageyama smiling happily. “I hope you learned a lot!”

“Iwa-chan—“

Unbeknownst to the two, they had an audience that happened to be Oikawa, who had been looking around for Iwaizumi, and runs into the scene instead. Seeing his best friend smiling and doting on the young boy sends an unexplainable irritation to him, and he definitely doesn’t want to be witnessing this right now.

 

 

“Oikawa-san, will you teach—“

The captain sticks his tongue out to the young boy. “No! I told you I only teach things once! Maybe you should have listened well yesterday!”

“I did but—“

Oikawa pouted snobbishly. “I’m still not gonna teach you!” 

As if to Kageyama’s rescue, Iwaizumi scolds Oikawa for his childish antics again.

 

 

“Hey,” Iwaizumi speaks up as all the others have left, and only he and Oikawa are the ones left changing in the clubroom. “Maybe you should lay off being mean to Kageyama? He’s the only one you’re treating like that.”

“Why, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa asks, like Iwaizumi just said the most complicated thing he’s heard. Oikawa himself knows this, but every time he sees Kageyama, his insecurities start to bubble inside him.

Iwaizumi casts a questioning look at his friend. He was confused as to why Oikawa is asking this, but he definitely did not miss the condescending tone that Oikawa had—most likely— unknowingly used.

“I’ll think about it, Iwa-chan, since you like him so much.” Oikawa slams his locker door shut and zips his bag close, not making eye contact with his best friend, who is practically boring a hole into Oikawa by staring too much.

“I don’t like your attitude.”

“So, I’m the bad guy here?” Oikawa speaks, his tone curling, and his insides quivering in an attempt to keep himself at bay. After thinking about it all last night, he’s come to a conclusion that he must be feeling insecure towards Kageyama and Iwaizumi’s overly friendly relationship. Even Oikawa thinks it might be such a petty thing, but he’s also having a hard time figuring out why exactly is he feeling as if Kageyama is taking Iwaizumi away from him, from his side.

He doesn’t like where this is going, but he might not be able to keep himself back.

He fights it off with, “Iwa-chan, I’m not feeling well today, so I’m heading off now,” and proceeds on his way out.

But he was stopped by Iwaizumi, who yanks him back by the forearm.

“Wha-What now, Iwa-chan?”

The ace just silently stared at Oikawa. His grip tightens at every attempt Oikawa makes to break free from his grasp. “Is there something you’re not telling me?” he queries, and Oikawa could feel his watchful olive green eyes prying into his very soul.

Not being able to hide anything from his childhood friend, he bursts, “Oh Iwa-chan, I didn’t know you still cared about me! I thought you’ll be good buddies with Tobio-chan now and forget a meanie like me!”

Both Oikawa’s and Iwaizumi’s eyes widened, and Oikawa quickly covers his mouth with his free hand. _Now you really are petty_ , he thinks to himself, and even he didn’t mean to say it that way.

He then, yet again, tries to free himself from Iwaizumi’s grip more stubbornly this time until his arm turned red, but Iwaizumi doesn’t even budge one bit.

“Let me go, Iwa-chan! It hurts!” he pleads as Iwaizumi’s gaze narrows.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Idiot this, idiot that!” Oikawa’s breaks have been released that he can’t stop himself anymore. “You always call me names, hit me and even shout profanities at me, then I see you with such a gentle face towards Tobio-chan? Like what is that? Are you—“

Iwaizumi grabs a hold of Oikawa’s shoulders and shakes him violently. “OI-KA-WA!!”

Oikawa’s head lolls back, forth and around, feeling dizzy as soon as Iwaizumi stops shaking him.

“Stop worrying about unnecessary things, dumbass!” Iwaizumi says as he tries to knock some sense into the brunet.

“U-Unnecessary?”

“A dumbass like you shouldn’t be thinking if all you’re gonna think is that!” Iwaizumi’s breath heaved. He can’t believe that Oikawa is throwing a tantrum only because he was friendly to Kageyama. “I would’ve left you long ago if I wanted to replace you, but I’m still here, you dumbass!”


	3. Teach Me How To Deal with a Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iwaizumi is Oikawa's pillar of (emotional) strength.
> 
> That much is obvious, but as graduation approaches and entrance exams loom over them, would they be able to stay together for the next stage of their lives?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I'm so sorry this took forever!! I find it quite difficult to work with the canon bits, but chapter 4 won't have any, so I'm going all out!  
> \- the extra chapter of vol 17 (Haikyuu!! manga) HURTS  
> \- 1 more stage/chapter to go!  
> \- comments are appreciated!

And so it ended.

His time in high school volleyball ended upon the hands of his former kouhai—the kouhai whom he deemed as his rival, aside from the super ace Ushijima Wakatoshi.

Kageyama Tobio, who has found himself in Karasuno.

Oikawa realizes Kageyama is no longer shadowed by his egocentricity. It’s been taken away by the sunlight that shines brightly upon him.

He had never underestimated Kageyama, but the younger setter’s development accelerates way too fast that he couldn’t catch up.

Well, there’s no way he would be able to catch up to a genius anyway. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t put up a fight.

Still, this puts him behind his 2 rivals again, like a painful reminder that his hard work is still not enough to beat prodigies who also work hard. 

He knows this, but it doesn’t mean it’s easy to accept.

 

 

Upon splitting ways at the intersection, both Iwaizumi and Oikawa said their goodbyes for the night, and both are subtly gentle towards the other, knowing that they each have their frustrations about the result of the game. But it is what it is. They know that they have to accept their loss over Karasuno, and that they won’t have that last opportunity to beat Shiratorizawa in finals.

Rushing towards his home, Oikawa couldn’t handle the heavy feeling in his chest. He gets to the porch of his house, kicks off his shoes at the threshold, and runs straight up to his room, locking it behind him. He flings his bag on the floor, hardly bothering to care about how his stuff ended up being scattered all over the place. He takes off his Aobajousai tracksuit, his mind far away from the fact that it might be the last time he wears it, and leaves it lying on his floor. He gets in his choice of comfortable lounging outfit: a pair of pyjamas covered with silvery-gray UFOs in a repeated pattern, plus the shirt that Iwaizumi gave him as a Christmas present 2 years ago, with little alien heads that glow softly in the dark.

He pulls out his futon from his cabinet, and lays it properly on the floor with the urge of going to sleep right away to get this day over with. He slips under his sheets, and just as he was about to lie down, he takes notice of his stuff strewn about all over the floor. At first, he tries to ignore it, and he’ll just clean up in the morning, but his white and teal Aobajousai captain jersey caught his eye. He slinks to reach the shirt, clutching it close to his body, as he smelled the sweat from his hard work and the depressing aura of defeat.

 

\---

 

Iwaizumi takes off his shoes rather languidly, occupied with a nagging feeling that he should go see Oikawa right now. His forehead creases at the thought, since he just saw Oikawa, had ramen with him, and they had just separated ways earlier at the intersection. He doesn’t know what this feeling means, but he sets it aside for now, and proceeds on his way to his room to take his bath and change into clean, comfortable clothing.

Even in his bath, Iwaizumi was still greatly haunted by that unsettling feeling. As soon as he gets out of his bath, he gets himself dressed, grabs his coat from the closet and zooms out of the door, yelling to his mother that he’ll just be going to Oikawa’s.

 

 

Oikawa’s mother sees a huffing and puffing Iwaizumi at their doorstep when she opens the door for him.

“Are you here to see Tooru?” she begins. “He’s locked himself in his room, watching something that’s not an alien documentary for once.”

Iwaizumi nods, and she steps aside to let him in.

“Thank you, Hajime-kun,” she says, a relieved look in her eyes as he makes his way upstairs to his friend’s room.

 

 

“I-Iwa-chan…”

Oikawa was frozen in his spot with his eyes bloodshot red, tear stained cheeks, and his curled up form while he clutches his Aobajousai captain jersey and the video of their game earlier playing on the screen in front of him.

“H-How did you get in…?”

He was left unanswered, and Oikawa doesn’t know how to even begin to break the silence between him and Iwaizumi. The dark-haired boy looked around the room carefully, and Oikawa feels his friend’s gaze on him, heavy and unwavering.

Oikawa opens his mouth to say something, but his voice fails him and he was left gaping like a fish when Iwaizumi kneels down on his futon.

“Oikawa…” he calls.

With his eyes wide open, Oikawa watches as sadness overcomes Iwaizumi’s face.

“I’m sorry, Oikawa,” Iwaizumi spoke again, his breath hitching at the attempt to hold back his tears. His head droops, face unable to be seen clearly by Oikawa. “I couldn’t make that last spike in.”

The urge to cry is present in Oikawa again as his chest constricts and becomes filled, once again, with his own frustrations. He couldn’t understand why Iwaizumi is apologizing, and he also couldn’t understand why none of them are blaming him for not being able to receive that last point in, when he was in position to do so. He was so angry with himself. He was perfectly capable of predicting as to where that small middle blocker’s spike would land, and if he only moved a few centimetres, he would have at least saved his team from this bitter defeat.

Iwaizumi wouldn’t have this face on right now if he only received it.

“Why…”

Iwaizumi lifts his head up, revealing his red eyes and pooling tears in the corner of his eyes. Oikawa could hardly bear to see this, so he angles his face away from the ace.

“Why are you apologizing?” he starts, the volume of his voice uncontrollably rising as words come out of his mouth. “Why is nobody blaming me? I was in position and I could have shifted to receive that spike, but I messed it up! It was my fault! Why is everybody being too nice to me by not even mentioning it as if it didn’t even happen?”

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi says, finding his composure. “Nobody thinks it’s your—“

“It IS my fault! I kept on talking about beating Ushiwaka and totally set Tobio aside, not thinking about this day when he would finally win against me! I should have been more cautious of Tobio and his growth!”

“Oikawa—“

“I can’t handle seeing your sad face, Iwa-chan,” he says, angling his face to look straight into Iwaizumi’s eyes. Though teary, he does his best to give Iwaizumi a clear look. He knows this won’t even stir something in Iwaizumi, but his every word is full of sincerity. “I should be the one apologizing. I’m sorry, Iwa-chan.”

“Stupid—“

“I would’ve liked to work with you more, but I guess this is the end of our high school volleyball. Thank you for these 3 years with you!”

Iwaizumi takes a deep breath to calm himself down. “You’re so stupid.”

“Eeehh?”

Iwaizumi laid his hands flat on his lap, as if to anchor himself onto something. He felt as if he’d be too swayed by the emotional fest if he didn’t. He droops his head again. “That’s my line. You were the best partner I can ever have.”

“Iwa-chan?” Oikawa was surprised with Iwaizumi’s straightforward compliment.

“But if we were to face each other in a match, I will defeat you.”

“Hey,” Oikawa began, ignoring the fact that he’s feeling that something pretty ominous is coming. “Why are you talking as if we’ll be separating ways?”

“You got scouted by a few volleyball powerhouse universities in Tokyo, didn’t you?” Iwaizumi asks. “You have good recommendations from the coaches too, so it won’t be hard for you to get in, and perhaps, with sports scholarship too, since your grades are pretty good.”

“Iwa—

“I’m probably staying in Miyagi,” Iwaizumi informs, a hand going to the back of his neck. “Unlike you, nobody would offer me sports scholarships, and I didn’t get scouted either, so I’m gonna try to get in through conventional means, and it’s cheaper to stay in the prefecture.”

Oikawa’s eyes widen. Fear is now crowding his thoughts. “What are you saying?! Didn’t we promise to go to the same university?”

“We were kids back then, Oikawa. We were innocent and we didn’t know anything.”

“No!” Oikawa is yelling at this point, and he can feel his voice waver. “I’m going to wherever you’re going, Iwa-chan!”

Iwaizumi plants his hands firmly on Oikawa’s futon. “Listen, you dumbass! There is no way I’d let you waste all those opportunities waiting out there for you! You’re good at volleyball and there are many chances for you to get even better! Don’t waste it just to stay with me, dumbass!”

 

\---

 

“Oikawa-san? Iwaizumi-san? Hello?” Makki waves his hand in front of the two’s faces to get some sort of response from them, but he fails when they stayed silent.

After finishing his meal, Iwaizumi stands up and grabs his bento box. “I’ll be studying in the library. See you later.”

And with that, the raven-haired boy leaves the cafeteria.

Makki is reaching the end of his patience, and demands an answer. “Oikawa. Explain.”

Staring down at his milk bread, Oikawa murmurs, “Iwa-chan found out I got scouted by universities in Tokyo, but I told him I’ll stay here with him, and he got mad.”

“Oh, so Iwaizumi is staying in the prefecture?” Matsukawa says.

“You’re an idiot, aren’t you?” Makki tells Oikawa.

Oikawa’s face retorts into that expression of both confusion and surprise fused together. Why is Hanamaki attacking him right now, he can’t think of a reason why. He looks at Matsukawa for help, but the latter didn’t meet his eyes, preferring to stay out of it.

“If you got scouted, get your damn ass going and tell them you’re taking the offer!” Makki starts, his face full of annoyance over the captain. “You’re so good that universities are flocking all over you, and you have the guts to refuse just because— Ugghhh…”

He groans loudly, which prompts Matsukawa to pat his shoulder. “Hey, that’s enough,” he says to his agitated friend. And with that, Hanamaki’s nerves seemed to have calmed down.

“Maybe you should hear Iwaizumi out first, Oikawa,” Mattsun calmly spoke. When both Iwaizumi and Hanamaki have turned against Oikawa on a particular topic, Matsukawa’s always been a voice of reason, and prefers to stay neutral.

“Even you, Mattsun?”

“Hey, I’m just telling you to listen to what he has to say,” the middle blocker raised both of his hands up in front of him. “I can only deduce why he’s gotten mad at you, but I have to say that he’s probably thinking about what’s best for you, you know?”

 

 

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa says, as the two of them were the only ones left behind in the clubroom. His fingers fidgeted, while warmth began to creep to his cheeks. He masks this by pretending to wipe his sweat off. “Can we walk home together?”

Oikawa slowly takes the towel off his face, and feared that maybe Iwaizumi slid out of the room without a sound, but he sees his childhood friend take a seat just across the lockers, his white and teal tracksuit already zipped up.

“Hurry up then,” Iwaizumi replies.

 

 

“I’m sorry, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa speaks in order to break the silence between the two of them. He was glad that Iwaizumi walked together with him; the ace probably got the hint that Oikawa wanted to have a word with him, and was kind enough to hear him out. “I was childish, but I understand what you mean now.”

“Did Matsukawa say something?”

Oikawa froze, and can’t even tell a white lie.

“Well, you do what you want to do,” Iwaizumi speaks again, and Oikawa was thrown off. “It really wasn’t my place to say anything.”

Iwaizumi chuckles to hide his embarrassment. “I’m happy for you, but maybe I was pretty jealous of you getting sports scholarships, since I didn’t get any.”

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa sniffs, and clings onto Iwaizumi’s arm. “I’ll tell them to scout you too if they want me! Yeah, like a 2-in-1 package so we can be an ace and setter combination again!”

Iwaizumi shakes his friend off his arm. “Hey! Don’t be stupid! You can’t do that!”

“But we’re like the perfect combination, Iwa-chan! With our skills and our trust in each other, we can beat anybody!”

“I don’t remember having that with you.”

“Mean!” Oikawa pouts, but is stupidly really happy that they’re back on track like the argument last night didn’t even happen. “Iwa-chan, you’re so mean!”

 

\---

 

With the third years’ entrance exams coming, Iwaizumi studied as best as he could to get into his university of choice, and Oikawa went off to visit the campuses of the universities who have made their offers for him to attend their school just to see which one he’d like best. He’s also done his research prior to visiting, and has already rejected those he didn’t find beneficial for him. After all, he’s got a bestfriend who’s thinking of what’s best for his improvement.

After a few trips, Oikawa has made his decision and accepts the offer of the university he liked the best. Even though they made him an offer, he still had to write the entrance exam, but it’s to nobody’s surprise that he got in with such ease. All that’s left for him is to wait for graduation, and that’s still some time ahead.

Since Iwaizumi’s doing his best in his studies, Oikawa also took up being the volleyball team’s temporary acting coach to at least keep himself busy from bugging Iwaizumi. Yahaba was the happiest upon his senpai’s return, so he could learn more how to be a respectable setter and a captain under the great Oikawa-san’s tutelage.

 

\---

 

Along with the bloom of the beautiful cherry blossoms came the third years’ graduation. With one last appearance to the rest of the volleyball team members, the seniors said their goodbyes, plus some advice (it’s mostly Oikawa who gave advice, but Iwaizumi also gave short ones to the boys, which made Kindaichi cry). Diplomas in hand, the seniors marched to the gates of Aobajousai High School, their former teammates seeing them off, when Oikawa said, “I’ll come and watch one of your games, but I won’t be telling you guys which one so you better get to Nationals!”

 

 

One week passed, and Oikawa’s departure to Tokyo is finally today. His nerves are a mess, he contemplates the new environment he’ll be in; the city’s noise, the populated atmosphere, and most of all, no Iwaizumi by his side. For the past 12 years, he and Iwaizumi had been inseparable, through thick and thin, and Iwaizumi’s been his salvation every time he sinks into the darkness of his insecurities. What he’d do without Iwaizumi by his side, he doesn’t know, but this might force him to be completely independent. It might be better for him to learn not to rely on anyone, like he relied on Iwaizumi for years.

But the thought of his bestfriend without his side still saddens him.

He drags his luggage downstairs, and his mother clings onto him, complaining why he had to leave so early while the rest of his fellows don’t have to leave for the next two weeks. He explains to his mother for the umpteenth time that the university’s volleyball team wants him to be there as soon as possible in order to start training and so that the cohesiveness of the team have some time to solidify before the summer tournaments start. He tries to comfort her, wrapping her in an embrace for a goodbye, and willingly lowers his head so she can place a kiss on his forehead just before she goes on her way to work. She was really irritated that she couldn’t take the day off to see her son off at the train station, so she sends Iwaizumi to take her place. 

Shortly after she left, Iwaizumi arrives at the Oikawa residence’s doorstep, and offers to help carry Oikawa’s luggage. Oikawa checks for the last time to make sure he’s got everything he’d need since the rest of his stuff won’t be in Tokyo for another two weeks. Of course, he doesn’t forget to take one last look at his house that he wouldn’t see for the next few months.

 

 

Oikawa feels as if he’ll cry if spoke, so he was quiet while he waited for his train, sitting on an uncomfortable bench at the station while the chilly March air sends him shivering. He was deep in thought when Iwaizumi comes back, and he slaps the canned coffee on Oikawa’s cheek to bring him back to earth.

“You’re so quiet that it gives me the creeps,” he says, handing Oikawa the canned coffee as he sat down on the spot beside his friend.

Oikawa didn’t even realize when Iwaizumi got up to buy them drinks. He was that deep in thought. “Thanks, Iwa-chan,” he replies sarcastically, “And I thought you’d be happy when you don’t hear my chattering anymore.”

“It was pretty uncomfortable, if you ask me.”

A smirk on his lips, he tries his best to mask any hint of uneasiness. After all, maybe he can get Iwaizumi to speak his true feelings under such circumstance. “Oh? Does that mean you’re gonna miss me, Iwa-chan? 

He was answered by the sound of Iwaizumi sipping his coffee. _Yeah, didn’t think so…_

 

It wasn’t too long after until the announcement of Oikawa’s train’s arrival filled the station, urging the passengers to come closer to the waiting area nearest to the tracks. Oikawa didn’t need to look around to hear people bidding their goodbyes as the train finally pulls up into the station and makes its full stop so people can start boarding.

Oikawa gets up with his luggage wordlessly, Iwaizumi following closely behind him. With only 5 minutes given for boarding, people began filing up in lines in front of the train’s entrances as they waited for their turn to board.

Oikawa stops in his tracks, and turns around to Iwaizumi. “I don’t know how busy I’ll be, but I’ll make sure to visit you during the holidays, Iwa-chan. Take care, okay?”

He gets on the train, and instead of making his way to find his seat in the train car, he stays at the entrance just inside the doors. He flashes a small smile to Iwaizumi, and as he lifted his hand up to wave goodbye at his bestfriend, the bell starts to ring, signifying the departure of the train.

“I’ll miss you, Iwa-chan!” he yells, waving his arm vigorously. “I’ll come see you, I promise!”

“Yeah, see you in Tokyo, idiot.”

The ringing ends. The doors are now tightly shut and the train began to leave the station, but not after Iwaizumi sees Oikawa’s face against the glass windows, with his mouth hanging open and his eyes blown wide.


End file.
